Preparation of gas for gas-engines



(No Model.)

W. J. RITGHEY.

PREPARATION 0F GAS FOR GAS ENGINES.

engines. properties, being, chemically speaking, comv VUNiTED STATES PATENT' GFFICE.

VILLIAM J. RITCHEY, OF PITTSBRG, PENNSYLVANIA.

PREPARATION OF GAS FOR GAS-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,235, dated June 17, 1890.

Application filed March 9, 1887. Serial Nor2301212. No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known' that I, WILLIAM J. RITCHEY, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Preparing (las for Gas-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to the use of natural gas in gas-engines; and it has for its object to prepare said gas so that it mayT be elfectually and economically used in this class of This gas is found to have peculiar mercial methane, and it being found necessary, in order to adapt it for use in the different arts where the ordinary manufactured gases have heretofore been employed, to treat it in a different way in order to adapt it at all for the purpose.

Heretofore it has not been possible to practically use natural gas as a substitute for artificial gas in the various forms of gas-v engines now in use. This is due to several causes, chief among which was that the gas did not explode in thel cylinder withsufficient violence and concussive force, as the union of the gas with the air and disintegration of the gas into other gases did not take place with sufficient rapidity to obtain any great degree of power. It was also found that at times the explosion failed to take place at all. Thus an irregular and unreliable motive power was obtained. The gas also carried into the cylinder with it more or less grit and saline matter, which cut the walls of the cylinder very rapidly, causing the engine to leak and render a new cylinder or lining or the boring ont of the cylinder necessary in a very short time. the experiments made with this gas in the Otto, Clerk, and other forms of engines in use have been a failure, and the attempts to use this gas as a source of power other than by the generation of steam has been abandoned. As natural gas in the localities in which it is found is very much less eX- pensive than artificial gas, its economic value as a source of power in gas-engines is obvious, more especially so as there are many places in which a gas-engine can be used to In fact,

advantage over an ordinary steam-engine. I have found that by filtering the gas before allowing it to enter the cylinder all grit is recovered, and that by heating this gas before its entry into the cylinder a more eective result and greater power is obtained as the gas is brought nearer to the explosive point before it enters the cylinder. I have also found that by the mixing of artificial gas with the natural gas amore positive explosion is assured and a greater amount of power may be obtained from the engine than when artificial gas is alone used and at avery large saving'in cost.

To these ends my invention consists, generally stated, in heating the natural gas, then mixing it with artificial gas, and subsequently mixing the combined gases with air and ex ploding them within the gas-engine. It also consists in an apparatus by which the foregoing method is effected, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe the same,referring to the accompanying drawing, which shows a view of the apparatus for carrying out my invention.

ay is the n atural-gas-supply pipe,which leads toa regulator b of the ordinary or any suitable construction, a valve c being placed in the supply-pipe ct to cut off the gas when required. Leading from the other side of the regulator b is the pipe d, which is provided 'with a valve e, and a lateral branch pipe f,

leading to a pressure-gage g, which serves to indicate the pressure of the gas coming from the regulator, this gage being of any suitable construction, or, as shown in the drawing, an ordinary mercury-column gage, such as in use to indicate the pressure of air-blasts. The pipe d by suitable bends, according to the place in which the apparatus is located, is connected to one end of a closed cylinder or other suitable chamber h, which is filled with some porous or loose material-such as cotton waste, mineral wool, asbestus liberwhich serves to filter the gas and remove therefrom the grit, sand, and otherimpuri'ties held in suspension. From the other head or end of the filter-chamber h leads the pipe t', which is surrounded'by a heating-chamber j, formed IOO in any suitable manner, or, as shown in the drawing,of a sheet of metal casing supported around the pipe so as to form an annular chamber between them, this chamber being supplied Witha gas-burner 7c, which derives its supply of gas from the pipe d by a branch l or from anyother suitable source. The gas passing through the pipe j is heated by the surrounding hot-air chamber to a proper temperature toV give a more effective explosion When it enters the cylinder vof the engine. From the pipe t', When natural gas alone is used, the gas passes directly to the mixingchamber in the engine. When, however, some artificial gas is used to obtain greater power, the pipe t' leads to the mixing-chamber m, into which also leads the artificialgas-supply pipe n, the latter being supplied below the point of entrance into the mixingchalnber with the usual regulator, expansion-globe, or bag 0. The two gases coming together in the mixing-chamber thoroughly mix with each other and pass through the pipe p to the ordinary mixing-chamber on the engine, where they are intermingled with the proper amount of air to obtain an explosion before entering the cylinder. The proportion of artificial gas to natural gas may vary according to the amount of power required from the engine; but I find the best results are obtained-that is, the maximum power derived from the engine-When from one-fifth to one-sixth of artificial gas is used. But these proportions may be varied somewhat and still very good results obtained The economy of this method of operating a gas-engine is very great, as for running a twenty-five-horse-power engine it has heretof'ore been necessary to use from three to five thousand feet of artificial gas a day, While now for a run of the same time from five to six hundred feet of artificial gas mixed with the natural gas, which does not amount to more than thirty or forty cents, gives the maximum capacity of the engine.

The proportion of' artificial gas to natural gas would of course vary more or less, ac-

cording to the composition of the respective gases obtained in different localities.

In the apparatus heretofore described, the mixing-chamber m may be dispensed with, if desired, and a simple three-Way joint used in its place, as the gases will sufficiently inter mingle in the pipe p to secure good results in the engine.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is v l. The herein-described'method of utilizing natural gas in gas-engines, consisting in first heating the natural gas and then mixing it With artificial gas, and subsequently mixing the` combined gases Vwith air and exploding them Within the engine, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The herein-described method of utilizing natural gas in gas-engines, consisting in filtering the natural gas, then heating it, then mixing it with artificial gas, and subsequently mixing the combined gases With air aud eX- ploding them Within the engine, substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus for preparing gas for gaseengines, the combination of a filtering device for filtering the gas With means for heating said gas before it passes into the cylinder, substantially as described. i

4. In an apparatus for preparing gas for gas-engines, the combination of a filtering device, means for heating the filtered gas, and a mixing-chamber having inlets therein for the heated and filtered gas and for another gas, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus for preparing gas for gas-engines, the combination of' a regulator, a filtering device, and a mixing-chamber communicating Wit-h said filtering device, and having an inlet for other gas, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said WILLIAM J. RITCHEY, have hereunto set my hand.

VILLIAM J. RITCHEY. Witnesses:

ADoLPH GETTING, J. N. COOKE. 

